Where Big Cartel Stands

Where Big Cartel Stands

Big Cartel has never been much for public positions or statements. We like to do our work behind the scenes, so artists can spend more time doing the work they love. But recent news has changed how we feel about that.

For us to do our work, to support our team, to care for our artists, we first need to talk about where Big Cartel stands.

At Big Cartel, our mission is to empower creative people to build a unique home to sell their work. Over the last decade, we’ve become a vibrant, diverse community of artists from all over the world. We’re immensely proud of that, and we work hard to make Big Cartel the best it can be for every one of you.

Behind Big Cartel, the company, is a team of people. We are Black, Asian, Latinx, and White. We are introverts and extroverts, Democrats and Republicans, queer, straight, gender non-conforming, religious and atheist. We are musicians and crafters, painters and writers, sports fans and gardeners, parents and pet owners, comic enthusiasts and gamers.

At our core we are a diverse group of creators, from the people who keep the company running to our community of artists. We strive to create a safe, supportive, and inspiring space, free from hate, discrimination, and prejudice. So that’s why it’s important that we make explicitly clear what already exists in our internal culture and terms of service:

Big Cartel, as a platform and company, is built to be positive and inclusive. There is no room for hate at Big Cartel. There is no space for racism or nazis or white supremacists or hate groups at Big Cartel. There is no room for physical, emotional, or psychological violence at Big Cartel.

Art can, and often should, be challenging. It may use controversial symbolism or imagery that is meant to penetrate to our core and push us to reflect on what we value. We encourage and appreciate this type of art and its purpose. However, when art crosses the line into hate and discrimination, or is used as a weapon to silence the voices of others, it won’t be tolerated at Big Cartel.

Our hearts are broken over all of this hate, hate that we thought was forced underground, but has been rearing its ugly head more and more in recent months. To honor Americans like Heather Heyer, who are striving to dismantle white supremacy in our country, we are making a donation to Life After Hate on behalf of our entire Big Cartel community.

We love our endlessly inspiring community of artists who have chosen to use Big Cartel. Know that we’ll continue our work to inspire, support, and empower you to make a living doing what you love. We’re here for you, and we’ll continue to make sure there is no place for hate on our platform.